These Old Shades

Unleashing a perilous scheme of revenge against the Comte de Sainte Vire by transforming his illegitimate, penniless daughter, Leonie, into the toast of the town, Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon, finds himself distracted from his mission by his growing love for Leonie.

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This is amazing. So, so good. I was sucked in the minute I opened the book. The whole book from beginning to end is full of wit, humor, sparkle and more. Read it. Trust me, you'll never regret it. And the fact that some of the phrases are French and some are outdated only adds to the utter amazingness of this book. Leonie was hilariously innocent and adoring, Avon was refreshingly blunt and amusing, Fanny (though somewhat annoying) was a sweet little creature and Rupert, well, Rupert was much funnier in this book than in the sequel. I read Devil's Cub before These Old Shades and I think the latter is better, however much I loved the former. This ranks for first right up there with The Grand Sophy and A Civil Contract for me. Very, very good!

An enjoyable historical romance, as one always expects from Heyer, but not my favourite. The time period isn't one I purposely seek out in my historical fiction. Leonie comes across as far too naive and innocent (and at times downright stupid) for someone with her background, which left me unimpressed with her. The narrative is highly readable and I don't reject dipping into it but I wouldn't recommend this as a first Heyer to start with.

This is the jewel in Georgette Heyer's novels.
Takes a fairly common story line and lifts it to dizzying heights. I adore all the characters involved.
Fanny, Rupert, Justin, Leon(ie), Hugh, and so on.
NB the language is difficult if your not used to old, really old fashion sayings. It took me several years and research to understand certain comments. Worth it!

Best Georgette Heyer novel! Most of her books are wonderful. Everything in this story is impeccable. I loved everything about it---the characters, the humour, the colourful setting, and the diabolical hero and plot! It's a fun read, both romantic and mysterious.

This book is a really good read, although at times, the dialogue can be somewhat difficult to understand. It gives great insight to an interesting era in Europe (France and England). It is romantic, but very minimized. I'd definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a more challenging read.

This is a terrific book. Adventure and romance in Georgian France and England. Avon is the quintessential rake.....only slightly reformed by love. Leonie is a riot as the young heroine. Devils Cub the sequel is equally good and An Infamous Army, a continuation of Avon's brood is one the best Waterloo novels ever written. Glad to see the library acquiring more Heyers, There is not enough in their collection and she is the Queen of Regency Romance novels.